Big Dummy Siting!

This morning at around 7:40, coming west through the bottleneck towards Lemoyne.  I didn’t know there were any longbikes in this area.  Anyone know who he is?

Schwalbe Marathon Plus and other tires…

Let me cover the “other tires” first:

The left rear tire on our mini-van has a slow leak.  It won’t pass inspection in December because of the tread, but I’m trying to nurse it along until just before, then I’ll spring on a pair of new tires.  But until then, I have to daily take a look at the tire and see if I have to pull out the little electric compressor we have and pump it up.  What a pain!

Next is the log splitter.  This thing basically sits in one spot most of the year, and somehow the one tire developed a leak.  I pulled it, put it in a tub of water, and discovered that it is leaking all around the rim.  Last night I partially disassembled it, scoured the rim with a wire brush and pumped it up.  This morning, out on the work bench…one very flat tire.

NOW ON TO BIKES:  One of the upgrades that I was contemplating for the Trucker is to replace the Paselas with a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plus’.  The Paselas are a great tire, but the Schwalbes are said to be better because they have a thicker tread, and more importantly, they have a “solid” sidewall as opposed to the fabric ones that make the Paselas such a comfort to ride.  The Pasela sidewall are known to fail occassionally and are not as resistant to puncture.  I was thinking of getting the 41mm Marathons to maintain the cushy ride and give me a bit more for rougher trails.

But my Paselas have 3500 miles on them with no end in sight, so replacing them at this point seemed a bit of overkill.  Still, there was the issue of the X bike being outfitted with knobbies, and I wanted to have a lighter roadbike around just for kicks.

So along comes an opportunity to buy a used set of 35mm Marathon Plus with around 1000 miles on them, for about 1/3rd of the best price I could find elsewhere.  Too good to pass by.  They show up, and look great.  I figure the reason no one ever flats out with a Marathon Plus is because its basically got a solid thick rubber tread, creating a tall oval profile.  Sitting next to a similar 35mm tire on the same rim off of the Marin, the Schwalbe sits quite a bit higher, requiring more clearance.  That clearance is an issue, since I’m also moving the PB 45 fenders from the Marin to the X bike.  Thinking this through further, the clearance of a set of 41mm Marathons on the Trucker with fenders might be an issue as well.

But that’s neither here nor there because the X bike has a bit of room to pull the fenders out further.  But…putting those Schwalbes on the rims was almost as bad as the pair of Kendas I have on the Cannondale.  I had tire irons self-ejecting off the ceiling, I skinned a knuckle pretty bad, and I punctured not one, but two, tubes trying to pry those suckers off and on the Alex single walled rims.  I thought that maybe it was the rims, so I tried mounting one on an Alex DC19 wheel that I have…just as bad.  I don’t know what or why, but this for me is a deal breaker and now has me thinking that the Paselas on the Trucker are just fine, thank you.  Sure, the Schwalbes may never get a flat, but if they do, trying to fix them on the road is not going to go too well.  The Paselas, on the other hand, can be changed easily without any tools.  So call me spoiled.

FWIW, the X bike is now sporting a pair of nice Schwalbe Marathons along with a pair of PB fenders.  The knobbies are readily available if we want to do some trail riding, but it better be a darned nice trail if I have to go through the pain of taking off those Marathons again.  Pictures to follow.

“If”, 2nd edition

Back in October of 2007 I posted my thoughts on “If I could have all the bikes I wanted” sort of theme.  At the time, I wanted:

• the LHT that I have now as a fast tourer, extended tourer, and general ride-around bike
• a second LHT with bigger tires and an upright stance for adventure touring and a grocery getter
• an Xtracycle for the novelty
• a lighter bike for fitness riding, akin to a Pacer

After two years, my thoughts on riding styles and preferences haven’t changed all that much, but some new bikes/frames on the market have changed what I’d probably be shopping for.

• Surly LHT set up for fast touring, with kit available for overnight/extended touring.  This is still pretty much the Trucker that I have.  The more I ride it, the more I love it.  Even without the idea of extended touring, I’d still be looking to upgrade some of the components for better durability and dependability.  I think the addition of a decent rack will also make the Trucker a good all-around errand/grocery-getter.
• An adventure tourer.  There are a number of trips/trails that I’d like to take that I think would be a bit rough for a typical road touring bike, including the LHT.  I’ve considered a second LHT with fatter tires, but 40mm with fenders is pretty much the limit.  A Karate Monkey set up for touring is a good prospect, but the short chainstays, which make it a good dirt bike, hamper the ability to carry gear.  My current choice is the X Bike (Nashbar cyclocross), but that has limited clearance for big tires and fenders as well.  It’s a fun bike to ride and was a budget project, but it has obvious limitations.  Earlier this year the Salsa Fargo caught my eye, since it appears designed for this application.  It’s basically a 29er with wide gearing and a lot of braze-ons.But recently there have been some not-so-glowing reviews about the Fargo and concern over the frame geometry.  The fear is that the steeply sloping top-tube somehow compromises the strength of the frame triangle.  I don’t know if that’s a valid concern or not, given the number of dirt bikes that look similar and aren’t falling apart, but these guys probably ride a lot more than I do.  The only thing that I would add is that the low top tube makes stepping over the frame a lot easier, which is something I’d imagine panniers and gear might force you to do sometimes.  That brings us to a new entry, the Soma Saga.  It’s steel, it’s got a higher top tube, prettier paint, and room for big tires with fenders.  Here is one built up, and is just begging to get out on the C&O Canal or the Great Allegheny Passage, although my build would probably stick with drop bars.
• Next, I’m going to drop my lusting for the Xtracycle…for now.  Maybe if I lived a little closer to civilization and could rationally use it in place of a car, but I’m now at a point where I can limit my toys.
• The third bike in the stable, and probably the least priority, would be a Surly Pacer for fitness riding and faster day rides.  Most likely I’d set it up like a brevet/rando bike with 28mm tires, and keep it light.  This is all conjecture at this point, but I think that if I had it, I’d ride it.

As an option, if I was completely without scruples and had more money than sense, I might trade the LHT and the Pacer for a Rivendell A. Homer Hilson.  It would need two sets of wheels – one for touring and one for day rides, and both with a dynohub front; as well as the assortment racks; but the bike could handle it.  I’d be down to two bikes, but I’d constantly be worried about scratching the paint on the AHH.  …and life without a Surly, oh my!

Still Around…

‘been busy and the weather is frightful.

My free time for the last two weeks have involved helping some friends take down and cut up a massive maple tree from one of their yards.  The original arrangement was that I would just help cut it up and he would keep the wood, since he has a woodstove.  However, when I took down the trunk, there was just so much wood lying around that he offered up “whatever I needed.”  I ended up taking the big chunks, which he was able to load onto the Pig using one of his farm tractors. 

Charlie is my farming neighbor, and kind of like everyone’s grandfather in the community.  He is either 91 or 92, I forget exactly, and he is still farming, although age is gradually catching up to him.  I had to laugh outloud one night when I was working.  He had been at it all day and was obviously tired.  He had to go inside to help his wife get dinner ready, so I thought that was that.  But Charlie, unable to sit still when there is work going on, came out three times to either check on things or offer help.

The tree, which was starting to succumb to disease, was 75 years old.  Not that we counted the rings on the table sized stump when I was done; rather because Charlie remembered helping his father plant it.  I managed to get 1 -1/2 cords, or three truckloads of big wood.  After I split it, it will sit for a year to season before it can heat the house.

I usually get called into these big jobs because one of my saws is “logger sized” and there aren’t many of those around, and because I have experience dropping big trees.  Plus, I do it for free or for some of the wood.  Being a true “woodtick” I learned how to handfile chains.  Now a perfectionist would keep at it and get better, but I found it tedious and time consuming.  The result was that I ended up buying a sharpening attachment for a Dremel tool and using that.

It did a passible job, was quicker, and I managed well enough for several years.  Every so often, I would take a chain to a professional sharpener to get a good edge, and have the teeth evened out so it would go back to cutting straight, because my sharpening had gotten off.  It usually costs around $4.00 a chain.

But after these two weeks, I just was not satisfied with how the saws were cutting until I pulled out a new chain.  The difference was significant.  So I started shopping for a bench style grinder.  The good ones cost between $2-300, which I knew I couldn’t afford and I wouldn’t use enough to justify.  I ended up taking a chance on a Chinese copy from Harbor Freight that was on sale over at their store for $42.  The chainsaw guys say they do a respectable job, although not without some issues.

The other night I set it up and sharpened 7 chains.  Last night I took my worst worn chain, put it on the big saw and went out back to cut up a large piece so it would fit in the splitter.  It cut as good as the new chain the other night.

So I am happy and figure that the sharpener has already paid for over half of its cost.  I’ve got more trees lined up to cut, so I’m thinking it was a prudent investment.  Any woodtick will tell you that that secret is not how big the saw is, but rather how sharp the chain is.  And a sharp chain is a safe chain!

Bicycles…well, they’re standing right next to the work bench where all of this grinding takes place.  I’m not spending any money, but I am window shopping for some S240 camping gear.  Riv has a decent sleeping bag, REI has a nice tent, and Dick’s has a Thermarest knock-off that looks pretty nice.  It seems like a small multi-fuel stove might be the ticket for anything longer than a day trip.

I’m also considering a Jandd front Expedition rack.  The Jandd seems to be reasonably priced and functional, and allows running panniers low with a wide top deck for strapping things down.  I’ve discovered that my little Trek rack isn’t that great at securing actual panniers, although it does a fine job for strapping stuff down.

(Much nicer than mine and not a Jandd, but you get the idea of where I’m headed.)

I’m not sure how good the LHT will ride with a “front-loader” setup.  I’ve seen a few Rivs this way and I kind of like the look, but I read from the purists that it has to do with fork trail.  That whole argument might be overrated, and it’s all going to come down to a combination of cost and functionality.   For all I know, a typical rear rack set up might be the final result.  The big thing at this point is research, and learning before leaping.  I’m hoping that next summer will bring on some nice overnight trips. 

In the meantime, I’m mentally getting ready for a winter’s worth of night rides.

Dahon Reecharge

Since posting about the Busch and Muller Ewerk, I’ve been getting a fair amount of hits specifically for information on that unit; or just dynamo chargers in general.  Another unit that was just rolled out last month has come to my attention, and quite frankly, this one looks like the best option thus far.

Dahon, one of the more established companies producing folders, is offering the Reecharge.  Using a battery to regulate voltage and prevent damage to electronic devices, the unit can charge off the dynamo or a wall plug, and in turn, power GPS and phones via a retractable USB cable.  As with the other units, the battery also allows you to recharge your devices after your day of riding.  It comes with multiple tips to accomodate the differences in current non-standard plugs.

Dahon is offering it as standard on two of their bikes, as well as just the unit for $99.  That should make it very appealing.  So that still leaves me with a few questions: 

1. How do these units interface with the existing lighting system of the bikes?
2. Are there compatible devices for charging Nimh batteries while riding that could then be used for other things?
3. Is it possible to charge a netbook sized PC via a mini-USB port?

Charging the netbook might be asking a bit much, but I could see it being a real selling point, especially if you can run a wire to a pannier.  Before you know it, the selling factor for dynohubs isn’t necessarily going to be low drag; but rather, amperage efficiency.

Ride Report: 09.24.09

Last night I did the “Quaker Road” loop to get a little exercise.  It was a dark night with a fair amount of clouds, and I noticed a bit more traffic than usual.

Distance: 10.5 miles  2009: 972.2